'Hawks struggled for consistency even before lineup was shuffled

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Things I think...

- The Erie BayHawks will be hard-pressed to finish above .500, much less make the D-League playoffs, after losing their top two scorers this week.

Big man Henry Sims and swingman D.J. Kennedy are two of the league's top prospects and were the BayHawks' representatives to the D-League All-Star Game. Their contributions -- a combined 35.9 points and 17.3 rebounds per game -- won't easily be replaced.

But the puzzling thing about the BayHawks is that, even with Sims and Kennedy, they never wore the look of a championship contender for long.

For one thing, the BayHawks rank fourth in the league in scoring defense, allowing only 98.4 points per game. But they've given up at least 100 points 20 times in 38 games.

Most playoff contenders are tough outs at home (league-leading Bakersfield is 18-3 at Jam Events Center). But the 'Hawks have enjoyed no measurable advantage at Erie Insurance Arena, posting a 9-8 mark.

The BayHawks also rank dead last in the league in blocked shots, helping to explain why in many of their games they've shown a near-complete absence of interior defense.

At 20-18, they're only a game out of the eighth and final playoff spot and only three games off the pace of division-leading Canton.

But with Kennedy and Sims gone from an already inconsistent team, postseason talk sounds a little absurd.

- Jimmie Johnson might have held off Danica Patrick to win Daytona 500 last month, but he got trounced by a woman in a race the Sunday before NASCAR's season-opening showcase.

And now, the rest of the story ...

Johnson and three fellow NASCAR drivers participated in the Daytona Beach Half-Marathon on Feb. 17, which started and finished at the speedway and included a 100-yard sand run along the ocean.

This is where Katie Hoover -- formerly Katie Donahue -- comes in.

The former standout distance runner at Northwestern High School and Edinboro University now lives in Ormond Beach, Fla., with her husband Otto, who played football at Edinboro. Katie Hoover is a third-grade teacher and still runs road races, including the Daytona Beach event, which she won for the third straight time this year.

Her time of 1 hour, 26 minutes, 18 seconds bested Johnson by more than 3 minutes.

- First Alex Rodriguez, then Curtis Granderson, now Mark Teixeira. All are out with injuries until at least early May. If the Yankees lose a couple more sluggers, their offense will be almost as bad as the Pirates'.

The good news for the Bronx Bummers is Mariano Rivera, who is retiring after the season, is scheduled to make his spring debut Saturday. The bad news is Rivera might need to drive in 25 runs in April.

- Since Bill Belichick arrived in New England, there have been two constants with the Patriots. They usually win, and they don't overpay.

That's why the Pats are so leery of a long-term deal averaging an estimated $8 million per year for receiver Wes Welker, who could be ready to explore free agency.

Welker is the classic is-he-or-isn't-he-a-system receiver. The Pats are willing to bet other teams don't envision Welker thriving away from Tom Brady and the New England offense. Welker seems willing to bet he can.

I think Welker's right, so don't be surprised to see the Patriots, with newfound cap relief created by Brady's restructured deal, make a strong play over the next few weeks to keep Brady's favorite target in the fold.